Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Enhancement of the antitumor effect of cisplatin and ginsenoside Rg3 by encapsulation in polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles

Wen Xu¹, Qingping Zhang¹, Leiming Sun²

¹Internal Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; ²Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, PR China.

For correspondence:- Leiming Sun Email: nightsun16@sina.com

Accepted: 2 January 2024 Published: 29 January 2024

Citation: Xu W, Zhang Q, Sun L. Enhancement of the antitumor effect of cisplatin and ginsenoside Rg3 by encapsulation in polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles. Trop J Pharm Res 2024; 23(1):51-56 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v23i1.7

© 2024 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To develop dual-loaded polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) with two chemotherapeutic agents, i.e., cisplatin (DDP) and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3(Rg3), and to evaluate the drug release profiles and synergistic inhibitory effects of the nanoparticles on lung cancer A549 cells.

Methods: The dual-laden PLGA NPs were synthesized using modified emulsion and solvent vaporization procedures. Drug loading (DL) and efficacy of co-encapsulation (EE) were determined with a modification of column elution technique. The cytotoxic and inhibitory effects of individual and combined drugs on A549 lung cancer cells were evaluated using MTT assay.

Results: A sustained pattern of drug release was shown by PLGA/DDP, PLGA/Rg3, and PLGA/DDP+Rg3. The formulated PLGA and unbound drugs exerted dose- and time-reliant cytotoxic effects on A549 cells. At all concentrations tested, drugs encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles were more effective in killing the cells than the free drugs (p < 0.05). In particular, PLGA/DDP + Rg3 formulation produced a synergistic inhibitory effect on the proliferation of A549 cells.

Conclusion: Single- and dual-load PLGA groups display variabilities in profiles of drug release and in vitro cytotoxic effect. Furthermore, dual-load PLGA group produces significantly enhanced treatment effect. These results suggest that PLGA formulations hold great potential for future drug delivery.

Keywords: Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), Drug delivery, Cisplatin (DDP), 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3(Rg3), Combination therapy